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Hi there, nice to have you visiting! I'm Heidi and this is the blog for Heidi Bears. Here is where I post all the happenings in my work and daily life. Here and there you'll find info on things that have caught my attention as well as the odd tutorial. I hope you enjoy your visits. I love to have feedback, so leave me a comment!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Blog vacation...

Hello everyone!

I am back from my blog break...I needed a week to sort out boxes and boxes of stuff for a move, and felt I needed a mini vacation from blogging...but I'm back now :)

I am adding some more photos of our Zambian trip, just because I SO loved it !

On Saturday afternoon, the skies cleared and we were able to go canoeing on the Mighty Zambezi. This little phrase "The Mighty Zambezi", is used by all the local people, almost said reverently, with awe, so we all got used to calling it thus. We were very excited to see the river from a different perspective, and fortunately I didn't worry about taking my camera on the canoe as it was safely tucked into the underwater housing...

After a bus ride (during which we were stopped by a road block...quite an experience in Africa...), we arrived at the start point, only to find that the river was so full that the banks extended far past the usual areas and we had to wade through smaller rivers to get to the actual bank of the Zambezi. I was somewhat concerned about walking through water i couldn't see through, with gazillions of crocodiles about (one thing to note: we saw way more crocs during our trip, than any other animal, and we saw LOTS of animals...gets you thinking...), but it was ok.

As we were donning life vests, the friendly guide gave us some safety tips...firstly, if a hippo should surface under your canoe, and up-end it, we were to swim to the river bank and not try to get back in the canoe, as the hippo would most likely attack the canoe... :o

Secondly, we should try not to canoe near the river bank, as that's where the crocodiles liked to be... :O !!!!!!!! (so, what is a girl to do, I ask you....)

This indeed made me realise that Africa is not for the faint-hearted, and off we went...

The Mighty Zambezi was peaceful and majestic...it was a remarkable experience, and although I had some interesting moments in the canoe with my dare-devil daughter (who btw has decided to start her own blog, which you can find here (http://lifesonebigadventure.blogspot.com/) ), who thought a near-swim would be a lovely memory(!), I thoroughly enjoyed the ride :)

We saw hippo, LOADS of crocodiles, including a huge fellow, which I managed to get a pic of before he slipped under the water, see below. We also criss-rossed the river and passed a whole lot of islands in the middle of the Zambezi, where weavers had made countless little nests, hanging from the branches, swaying in the breeze...

The one thing I really love about living in Africa, are it's skies...these deep blue, vast expanses of sky and cloud...makes you feel the timelessness of Africa...the feeling that although time and life passes, nothing really changes...tomorrow the sun will rise again...

A large fellow, can you spot the bits of him?

Weaver nests...

Mr P, and the little adventurer...

This pic was taken towards the end of the canoe trip, and you can see that we are near the falls, as the vapour cloud is clearly visible.

En route back to the hotel, we were greeted by a beautiful herd of giraffe, wondering across the road, and not at all afraid...they ate some leaves, wondered off, looked back, and faded into the savannah...

A few kilometers further, and we turned into the hotel entrance. Who should we encounter? A male giraffe eating leaves...right next to the road. We opened the door of the transport bus, he looked at us curiously, ate some more, and eventually turned his back and elegantly walked off...amazing!

Behind him was mom and baby zebra...grazing...

We really had an awesome experience!

Dinner time, will you take a look at those skies! I LOVE them :)

This week I will be starting a tutorial on how to knit a pair of fingerless mittens...something simple, but quick and fun! They make great gifts and are really easy to knit...so stay tuned!

I was a little scared just reading about the crocs! You folks are a lot braver than I!....Oh, but the beauty of the place! To see giraffes in the wild must be absolutely incredible! It really is kinda hard to put my brain around the concept of so many animals associated with zoos for me, just roaming wild.

Those giraffe. Watching them move - they are nearly preternatural. And the grace of the arching neck. The skies are beautiful. I can image standing under them, that overarching deep color - un marred by city fumes and dust. Just all that O2 breathed out by all the green things; how heady it would be to be a bird and fly through that air.

You are braver than I. The chance that there might be a hippo around is enough to keep me beached. How comforting to know that the hippo will be crunching the canoe, while you are swimming though crocodiles (who can hide in a wet elephant footprint) to get to the nice, safe bank.

Children think they will live forever. We can only hope they will.

I have heard of this mighty river all of my life, but perhaps I am confusing it with the Limpopo of Just So fame. What a tremendous adventure. And to have been out there with your family - they will never forget it.

Boxes for a move. Such a move. If you were moving here to the mountains and bringing Linda with you, I would not worry about you moving.

Olli Polli The Elephant Pattern

Lollo African Flower Bear Pattern Click to Buy Now

The Hearty Hexagon Crochet Motif Pattern

Hi, I'm Heidi, the creative mind behind Heidi Bears, the blog! I am a happily married mom of two beautiful daughters, and live in an old house with wooden floors, which needs more attention than a newborn...but we love her anyway!
I love creative activities and have probably tried every kind of craft at one time or another :) I feel blessed and thankful for the diversity in my life...